Since the first widespread use of thin-walled metal beverage cans, it has been the general practice to incorporate on one end of each can a self-contained opening menas such as a pull tab connected to a tear flap or the like which can be manually displaced to break open the tear flap and thereby release the contents from the can. However, in some designs the pull tab and tear flap were arranged so that they were pulled free of a can and discarded when it was opened to become a hazard underfoot and unsightly. In other designs the pull tab was designed to remain attached to the can after it was opened, but projected from the open can so it could still be torn off and discarded to get it out of the way. In still another recently developed design the pull tab was completely eliminated, but in each of these designs the opening in the end of the metal container had an exposed raw metal edge dangerous to the fingers and the lips of a person using the contents of the can.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a pull tab in fact permanently attached to the end of a can manually moveable from an initial ready position adjacent the outer surface of the end of the can to break open a flap portion of the can end and rotate it inwardly of the can as the pull tab is rotated into and constrained in its final protective position against the outer surface of the can with a smoothly contoured annular portion thereof facing away from the outer surface of the end of the can and superposed over the raw edge of the opening in the end of the can formed by breaking open and rotating the flap portion of the can end.
The inventor is familiar with design details of various different opening means, particularly those for beverage cans, and has no knowledge of any prior art or any combination of prior art teachings embodying the several features arranged in the manner and for the purpose described and claimed below.